


Recovery long overdue

by ReikoNatsume



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Feral brain writing, I have no idea what is going on, Lust is a good bean, M/M, Memories as plot device, Monsters don't care about gender, Multi, Nightmare centric fic, Slow Burn, recovering from trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29755992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReikoNatsume/pseuds/ReikoNatsume
Summary: Nightmare’s most kept secret is out to the most unlikely of people and this kickstarts a chain of events
Relationships: Nightmare/Killer/Lust
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	1. The secret is out

Dream was sitting quietly, looking at the Judges from the AUs, Blue and Ink argue over how to deal with his brother and why he became the way he is, other than the black apples.

“Something had to push him to that point! But no one, not even Dream knows... how are we supposed to find out!?”

That was when Sci ran into the room, “I got it! I made a machine that can read the memories stored in our magic. As long as I have a sample this will work, and I have a jar of the corrupted goop from him I collected after some fight. We can see his memories.”

Dream frowned, “But that will be ignoring his privacy.”

Red growled, “He lost his right to it when he started attacking all those AUs.”

There were agreeable murmurs and Dream had to give up and help them as the only one able to give them time periods to check if they didn’t want to look at ten years of Nightmare’s life.

A few hours later, they were all in the room with the machine looking at the screen waiting for what it would show.

Dream and Sci deciding to start half a year before Nightmare’s corruption, “Show the days when something weird stuck to you and when you weren’t with him.”

Dream nodded and after a moment input a date. “That day I was sick and we both argued about Nightmare not being friends with the villagers, I will skip most of it.” Dream said and let it play.

_“Why don’t you understand I don’t want to be friends with them and accept it?! I accepted you are friends with them.” Little Nightmare, still in his uncorrupted form shouted at Dream with teary face._

_“I don’t understand, they are my friends... You are the worst big brother, I hate you!!!” both twins gasped_ (just like the audience), _Dream guilty and Nightmare heartbroken._

_“Brother...” Dream tried only for Nightmare to shake his head, whisper, “Don’t follow me.” And run into the forest._

(Now Dream was paying attention with everyone else as he didn’t know if anything happened at that point.)

_Nightmare reached a clearing in the forest, fell to his knees and screamed with sobs shaking his small frame._

(It went for some time and Dream was tempted to rewind, if only to save himself the feeling of guilt for causing this, but then something changed.)

_There was a gasp from Nightmare and dark chuckles from the villagers that surrounded the child._

_“Congratulations, your brother hates you... we told you so many times to leave before he did, and you didn’t listen to us little guardian. Look at yourself now, suffering so much. Why don’t you leave to save yourself the pain?”_

_Nightmare rubbed his teary face, “I will if this is what he wants... but I can’t leave him with you.” He said quietly. His purple aura leaking out, “You are dangerous to him... if he hates me it doesn’t matter what I do anymore... if I kill you all... he will be safe.” The aura slowly started changing to black._

(Dream paused the memory, “Can I get to another day?” He asked quietly with shaking voice and everyone nodded too stunned to argue. Dream went to another day.)

_Nightmare was alone at the tree reading a book and playing with magic._

_“Hello little guardian.” Came suddenly and Nightmare flinched, hiding his book into his inventory._

_“W-what do you want?”_

_The human smiled darkly, “Oh, nothing.”_

_After that Nightmare was grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground, more villagers getting out of hiding and attacking the small skeleton that curled into a ball and let out only quiet whimpers, trying his best to stop any sounds._

_The villagers were screaming at him ‘freak, monster, you should die, useless, dirty, everyone hates you’_

(Dream paused the memory, “I-isn’t that enough?”

Sci put a hand on Dream’s shoulder emphatically, “Maybe last one, one day that stuck to you the most.”

Dream nodded and thought a little, “Two weeks before corruption he suddenly got worse... jumpier and didn’t bother hiding his aura anymore.” He said and input the date.)

_Nightmare was reading until someone came, “Nightmare! Dream got hurt!”_

_Nightmare got up glaring at the villager “What?! Where is he!?” The villager immediately led the way._

(Dream frowned “I didn’t get hurt that day.” He said confused and filled with dread, just like the other Judges.)

_Nightmare followed the villager into a building and looked around, “Where is Dream?" He asked and them everything went black with a dull thud._

(The memory returned after a moment, but the machine skipped the time itself, showing Nightmare was unconscious.)

_When the ten-year-old opened his eyes, he was tied up to a bed, “W-what are you doing?” He asked fearfully and when one of the villagers approached with a syringe Nightmare started struggling._

_It was no use, as Nightmare didn’t have good control of his magic due to the concussion and the villager injected him with the drug._

(Everyone watched with terrified faces as Nightmare panicked and tried to get free even more. The reason why was clear soon.)

_One of the villagers tore open Nightmare's clothes showing the child’s ecto was summoned._

_The villager grinned and groped Nightmare who sobbed trying to buckle away, “I knew you were useful for something.”_

_Nightmare sobbed more as the villager’s hands moved to his pants, “Dream! Please, help! Someone! Anyone! Dream!!!” He screamed but then the villager grabbed his chin._

_“Do you really want him to see you like this... What if this time he really hates you? He will think you are disgusting and will leave you... all alone at our mercy.”_

_Nightmare’s breath hitched and he fell silent the villager smiling cruelly and continued until the villager simply thrust into the child making the small guardian sob out loudly, but he was too broken and scared to scream for help._

_He didn’t look at his rapist, but no matter where his eyes landed he was surrounded by the villagers and their leering faces tormenting him..._

(That’s when the screen turned black as Lust slammed the machine off, everyone else too shocked to react.)

Dream sobbed while everyone else was lost for how to react. “They... they raped my brother... and I tried to protect them when he corrupted and was killing them... I was friends with my brother’s abusers and rapists!!! I’m horrible, I thought they were nice, but they lied to me!!!” Dream screamed out heartbroken Sci rubbing his back gently.

“I know it hurts but right now I’m angry at you.”

Dream looked at Lust who said it, “W-what?”

Lust looked at Dream coldly, “All you just said was about yourself, but nothing about how Nightmare feels with it. Did you think about how to help him?” Lust scoffed at the silence, not only from Dream but also other Judges, “I can’t believe in you... the first reaction from you is silence?! What you should do is to give him space but also help him and helping him doesn’t include fighting him. I will not let you attack him anymore.” He stated calmly making G from Echotale stand up.

“He was raped, so what? He still spreads negativity around instead of letting positivity win.”

Lust growled, “Do you hear yourself? Letting positivity win? HE’S GUARDIAN OF NEGATIVITY! Of course, he will strive that his part of feelings doesn’t die out, but I noticed one thing that Dream always said... Nightmare only attacked when positivity was stronger than negativity, he never complained about negativity overpowering positivity. Nightmare doesn’t try to destroy positivity, he only wants to be equal to his brother, like he wasn’t allowed to in his past!” He shouted agitated making others flinch back.

Dream sniffled, “I won’t fight Nightmare anymore, but I know he won’t let me close to himself now... can I entrust him to you?” He asked Lust who nodded with fierce expression.

“No one else get close to him. I will deal with it on my own. If I see you near him, I will kill you.” Lust snarled and left the room.


	2. Lust's arrival

Lust was in the AU Nightmare took over as his. Everyone feared going there and ending up dusted by the monsters living there.

Everyone knew about Nightmare’s main team, but Lust also knew, due to Horror spilling it out by mistake, about the bunch of other monsters living there peacefully, managing the castle and other things, security one of them, and about plenty of other people and monsters, simple civilians.

Lust heard a rustle behind him, stood in place and raised his hands, “I’m not here to fight, I want to see Nightmare.” He said calmly and did his best not to flinch at the knife on his neck.

“Really? Why shouldn’t I just dust you right here pretty boy?”

Lust smiled, “Aww, you think I’m pretty. I don’t know if it’s flattery or narcissism.”

Killer chuckled, “Nice one, but still...”

Lust sighed, “It concerns other Judges and Nightmare’s past, before the corruption.”

Killer’s hand shook slightly and the knife soon left Lust’s neck, “Okay, follow me, but don’t try anything.” He said and started walking towards the castle in the distance, Lust following obediently.

They reached the castle and walked through it until Killer stood in front of some door and knocked, “Come in.” came from inside and so they did. Nightmare was sitting behind the desk in a big office, filling in some papers.

The guardian looked up and sighed, “Do I want to know why you brought in a Sans working for the Star Sanses, Killer?”

Killer grinned and shrugged nonchalantly, “He said he had some information that’s important. Thought you wanted to listen to him. And he said he didn’t come for a fight so...”

Nightmare sighed and motioned to two armchairs in front of his desk, “Sit down then and let us listen to that important information.” He said and put down his fountain pen.

Lust sat down with Killer walking to Nightmare’s side instead, “I will start from the beginning. We were trying to find out why you became corrupted, what led to it all. Turned out Sci got something to read memories hidden in magic and some of your goop. What we saw was, frankly speaking, more than enough of an answer.”

Nightmare tensed, his eye dissappearing and small tremors shaking his body. Killer put a hand on his shoulder in support, “What did you see?” He asked quietly.

“We turned it off before seeing too much, but still, we saw you getting beat up and... the rape.” Lust whispered and flinched when Nightmare shot up from his chair.

“No! No! No, no, no!” The guardian backed himself into a wall and slid down, curling into a ball and sobbing into his knees.

Killer kneeled in front of Nightmare lost for how to help while Lust got close and kneeled next to Killer.

“Nightmare, it’s alright, no one hates you... Dream...” He stopped, seeing Nightmare look up panicked at the name, “He said he won’t interfere with the feelings anymore and won’t push you for anything. You can reach out to him whenever you are ready or never, it’s all your choice. You are alright, I’m here to help you, however you need, even if it means I have to leave.”

Nightmare was quiet for a while until he hid his head in his knees, “You can’t help me, no one can. I’m corrupted, dirty, useless...”

Nightmare flinched when his hands were grabbed, one by Lust and another by Killer.

“Don’t talk like that about yourself, you aren’t dirty or useless and your corruption isn’t anything bad or something you can’t deal with. You rose above your corruption controlling it.” Killer said, and Lust nodded.

“Yes, that horrible experience doesn’t define you. If anything, you are incredibly strong to have went through that and remain whole.” He whispered, “I can help you understand those things, get better.” Nightmare sobbed and nodded.

\----------

A few hours later Lust had moved into his own room in the castle and got ready to join the main group for dinner.

“Are you ready?” Came from the doors, Killer standing there with crossed arms.

Lust smiled, “Sure, whenever you are.”

Killer nodded and lead the way through the castle, “The others know you are here, it’s more about us getting to know you so we don’t feel suspicious enough to shiv you in your sleep.”

Lust chuckled, “Oh, I doubt you would be able to, but I’m still not opposed to getting to know you all.”

Killer stopped in front of a door and grinned amused, “Then I hope you are ready for it.” He said and opened the door, Lust stunned watching the scene unfolded to him.

Nightmare was at the head of the table calmly drinking wine while Cross was chasing Dust who was eating chocolate, around the room and Horror was slowly sharpening a big knife looking at the two. Killer laughed at Lust’s shocked expression which got others’ attention.

“Get in, we were waiting for you.” Nightmare said, his calm attitude apparently returning after he got the time alone to calm down.

Lust and Killer entered the dining room, and everyone helped themselves to some food, small talk breaking over them, letting them get to know each other as Lust shared some secrets about himself, the other four sticking to harmless tidbits about themselves while Nightmare was just listening.

After the dinner Nightmare decided to be the one to lead Lust back to his room.

It was quiet, just their footsteps until Nightmare hesitantly spoke, “How do you plan on helping me?”

Lust smiled gently, “We can just talk at the beginning, helping you understand your feelings on the matter. We will find out what you need to get better, it’s not universal thing. From there we will see, but nothing that you can’t handle, I promise.”

Nightmare relaxed slightly and nodded, “Tomorrow?”

Lust shrugged, “Whenever you are ready, and you can back off from the conversation at any time. There’s no benefit in pushing yourself. No matter how long it takes, you are not weak, the simple fact you want to try to recover shows how strong you are.”

Nightmare sighed and nodded, stopping in front of Lust’s room, “I will think about it. For now, know that you are free to walk around the whole castle except the closed rooms or the private quarters of anyone.”

Lust nodded with a smile, “Thank you, I really appreciate it, after all you could try to act out your dark persona and put me in some dingy room or the cellar.” He winked smirking. 

Nightmare smiled wryly, “Be careful with what you wish for, you may get it.” He said and left.

Lust entered his room and again looked around.

He didn’t lie, the room was amazing.

Big bed enough for an orgy if someone so wished, big window with lavender curtains, build-in closet, en suite bathroom and much more than he would ever need.

Lust laid on the bed and relaxed, letting the call of sleep envelope him.


End file.
